Shower bath cabinet



A ril 19, 1932. BAR E 1,854,443

SHOWER BATH CABINET Filed Dec. 5/1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 a jive-2x257? IQ/Z70 OJarO J. O. BARCE SHOWER BATH CABINET Filed Dec. 5, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 V W I? April 19, 1932.

Apr i1 19, 1932.

J. O. BARCE SHOWER BATH CABI NET Filed Dec. 5, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 19, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" JOHN 0. IBARCE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS SHOWER BATH CABINET Application filed December 5, 1927. Serial No. 237,668.

and advantages in manufacture, installation wise the side walls either do not properly fit the receptor or they will not be disposed perpendicularly. Since the receptors are very' heavy and are customarily set in a recess, it has been very difficult to level them by blocking underneath, which has been the customary method of leveling. o 4

-One of the purposes of my present invention is toprovide the receptor with leveling devices at each corner which are accessible from the top of the receptor so that it may be easily and accurately leveled.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cabinet which may be shipped in knocked down condition and readily as sembled on the job, thereby eifecting a material saving in shipping charges, and also facilitating the installation of the cabinet as the various parts can be readily assembled and secured together by one man, whereas the assembled structures heretofore used have rethe cabinet through the joints and at the same time leave no screws or bolts exposed to view.

Still another object isto provide novel and efiicient anchoring means whereby the side walls may be securely anchored to the receptor.

Still another object is to provide a durable I and substantial stile together with means for locking the edge of the side wall to the stile in any desired adjusted position and in a convenient manner which will facilitate and expedite assembly without the employment of exposed bolts or screws.

Other objects are to deflect and return all trating splash water into the receptor and insure against leakage at the side wall joints, to prov1de a construction which can be economically manufactured from sheet metal, and enameled if desired, to provide for necessary adjust-ability between the stiles and the side walls connected thereto and to produce a construction which will be strong, durable and economical to manufacture and install.

Other objects and many of the inherent advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the stiles'and its associated side wall,

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical sectional View of a stile and a portion of the receptor upon which'it is mounted,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of one of the corners of the cabinet,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 13,

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view through the cabinet shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing one of the leveling devices and illustrating one form of side wall anchor,

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view showing a'stile and associated side wall,

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the corner lock strips,

Fig. 10 is a sectional view illustrating a modified form of side wall anchor.

Fig. 11 is an elevation illustrating the anchor shown in Fig. 10,

' Fig. 12 is a. detail of the anchor corner plate shown in Figs. 10 and 11,

Fig. 13 is a horizontal sectional view illusa modified form of corner lock strip, and

Fig. 14 is a sectional view illustrating a modified form of stile.

Referring now to the drawings more in detall and partlcularly to Figs. 1 and 6, reference character 15 indicates generally i the receptor molded of concrete, terrazzo,

cork composition, or other preferred material, 16 indicates the side walls of the cabinet, 17 is the back wall, 18 the corner lock strips, 19 the stiles, and 21 the stile cap by.

which the upper ends of the stiles are locked together. The top of the cabinet (not shown) is customarily formed as part of the wall construction of the building.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7, it will be observed that the receptor is provided near each corner with an internally threaded sleeve 22 preferably of metallic construction embedded and anchored in the body of the receptor. Into the lower end of this sleeve is adjustably threaded a post or leg 23, carrying at its lower end a foot 24 relatively to which the post is rotatable by means of a wrench or other suitable tool adapted to engage in a kerf formed in the upper end of the post. When the receptor has been located in desired position, it may then be leveled by adjustment of the leveling devices in the manner indicated, whereupon each sleeve is covered by a cap 25 threaded into the upper end of the sleeve as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

The inner faces of the vertical walls of the receptor are sloped outwardly from the floor as indicated at 26 to a point slightly be low the top where a ledge 27 is provided from which the remaining portion of the wall extends substantially vertically. The top 28 of the wall is inclined downwardly and inward- 1y, as shown in Fig. 7 to insure drainage into the receptor.

The side and back walls 16 and 17 which are made of sheet metal, enameled if preferred, are shaped at their lower ends to conform to the configuration of the receptor walls, being bent inwardly and downwardly as indicated at .29 and terminating in a depending flange 31 which rests upon the ledge 27. The rear marginal portion of each side wall and the side margins of the back wall are bent inwardly at an angle of substantially 45 as indicated by reference characters 32 and 33 respectively of Fig. 4. The inwardly projecting flanges thus formed are abutted face to face and secured together at intervals throughout their height by bolts 34, the heads and nuts of which are spaced away from the outer faces of the flanges by spacingwashers 35 as shown. The side and rear walls are also anchored to the receptor at their rear corners by suitable anchors, one form shown in Fig. 7 consisting of a lead anchor 36 secured in a dovetailed socket formed in the receptor and adapted to receive a screw bolt 37 by which the cabinet wall is anchored and held in position.

The anchor screws and the flanges and bolts by which the side and back walls are secured together are covered and protected from view and exposure by the corner lock strips 18 previously mentioned. These lock strips, made of the same material as the side and rear walls, are bent into triangular form as shown in Figs. 4 and 9 with the marginal edges 38 extending inwardly to receive between them the inwardly projecting marginal edges 32 and 33 of the side and rear walls. The margins of the lock strip are cut away to provide upwardly inclined faces or edges 39 and the rear portion of the triangular body is cut away to provide a slot or opening 41 (Fig. 9) sufliciently large to permit the entrance therethrough of the'head and nut of the bolt 34. After the side and back walls have been connected together with the bolts in the manner previously indicated, a lock strip is slipped over the inwardly projecting connected flanges so that the bolts pass through the openings 41 into the interior of the strip whereupon the strip is moved longitudinally downward, forcing the inclined edges 39 into engagement with and downwardly behind the spacing washers 35 on the bolts, thereby drawing the locking strip snugly against the side and rear walls and drawing the wall sections together so as to tightly connect said sections together and lock the strip in position to cover and inclose the joint. the edges of the lock strip fit snugly a ainst the side and rear walls so that liability of leakage past the strip along the walls is slight, nevertheless should any leakage at these points occur, the water will be caught by the flanges 32 and 33 and prevented from escaping outside the cabinet and because of the inclination of the bottom portion 29 of the wall and the top 28 of the receptor,-this leakage will drain back into the receptor.

A modified form of lock strip is shown in Fig. 13 wherein the strip, instead of being triangular in outline, is T-shaped, as indicated by reference character 42, the flanges While 43, in this instance-extending rearwardly from the body of the strip, being slotted as shown at 44 in Fig. 5 to efiect the locking.

in Fig. 7 is illustrated in Figs. 10, 11 and 12. This form of anchor comprises a corner plate 45 adapted to embrace the connected corners of the side and rear walls and to be secured thereto by bolts 46 as shown in Fig. 10, the bottom 46 of the plate being provided with an elongated slot 47 through which projects a downwardly extending screw bolt 48 adapted to be secured in inclined position in a similarly positioned lead plug 49 set in the receptor, a recess 51 in the top face of the receptor being provided to accommodate the lower-portion of the corner plate. A sheet metal cap member or washer 50 preferably shaped as shown in Fig. 10, affords a substantial bearing between the plate and the head of the screw bolt 48 and permits of adjustability of the plate 45 so that it may be adjustedfor accommodation to the position of the vertically disposed cabinet walls.

The forward portions of the side walls 16 extend at right angles from the plane of the walls as indicated at 52, Figs. 1, 2, 6 and 8, their inner edges being attached to the stiles 19 which partially form the ddor frame.

The stiles'19 are each, as will be apparent from Figs. 1, 2, 3, 6 and 8, formed from a single sheet of metal bent longitudinally into rectangular shape with the marginal edges 53 bent inwardly and disposed in parallelism in spaced relation to accommodate the marginal edge of the front wall 52 therebetween The lower end of each stile is set in a corresponding socket 54 (Fig. 3) formed in the front wall of the receptor and any water which may gain access to the interior of the stile is drained back into the receptor through the drain openings 55 leading from the bottom of each stile socket.

In assembling the parts, the marginal edge of each" front wall is inserted between the flanges 53 of its stile and the stile, because .of the slidable relation between the wall and its stile before they are locked together, may be plumbed before it is rigidly secured to its frontwall. For the purposecof lockin the wall and stile together, I have provi ed a locking wedge 56 (Fig. 2) formed from spring metal into an acute V-shape adapted to be driven into the slot between the outer flange of the stile and the margin of the ,front wall 52 so as to firmly clamp the wall between the flanges of the stile. In order to hold the wedge against displacement, once it has been inserted the opposed faces of the stile flange and the wedge are equip ed with interlocking provisions consisting o projections 57 struck out from the metal of the wedge and correspondingly shaped recesses or indentations 58 formed in the flange. When the wedge has been driven inwardly into the desired position, interengagement' 7' between the formed projections and recesses will hold the wedge in position against displacement and cause the stile and wall to be securely locked together. 1 A modified form of stile is illustrated in Fig. 14 from which it will be observed that the stile 59.in this instance is rectangular in form, one marginal ed e being secured to an opposed side wall y rivets 61 and the other 7 margin 62 forming the front wall of the stile points of: manufacture, s

spaced from the opposed inner wall 63 toaccommodate the margin ofthe front wall 52 between them When the margin of the wall has been inserted into'the stile and the stile has been plumbed, the parts are securely fastened together by clamping bolts 64 which draw the walls 62 and 63 together to clamp the wall 52 between them.

From the foregoing, it. should be manifest that I have provided a shower bath cabinet possessing many advanta'gis from the stand- 'pmenft, assembly,

installation and use, and while I have shown and described those embodiments of the invention which at present appear preferable, it should be understood that the details shown and described are illustrative merely and that the principles of my invention may be embodied in constructions differing materially from those herein illustrated without departing from the essence of my invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A shower bath cabinet including a receptor and adjustable supporting means extending beneath the receptor and access ble from above the receptorwhereby the receptor may be leveled.

2. A receptor for a shower bath cabinet provided with adjustable'means projecting beneath the receptor and accessible from above the receptor for leveling and supporting the same. 1 v

3. A receptor for a shower bath cabinet having the upper surface of the side and rear walls sloped inwardlyto drain into the receptor, the front wall being provided with stile receiving'sockets provided with'drain openings delivering into the receptor and having means accessible from above the receptor whereby the receptor may be adjustably supported and leveled.

4. A shower bath cabinet comprising a receptor, structurally independent side and rear walls supported thereon, means for securing said rear and side walls together into a unitary structure, means for anchoring said walls to the receptor, and means for covering said anchoring means and the joint between said walls, said last mentioned means pro-. viding a beveled corner for the cabinet.

5. A shower bath cabinet comprising a receptor, rear and side walls supported therea beveled corners for the cabinet provided with flanges, adapted to embrace said wall flanges and means providing a detachable interlocking connection between said wall flanges and 7 said corner strip flanges whereby the corner strips are retained in position.

7. A shower bath cabinet comprising rear and side walls having their opposed flanges bent inwardly, bolts securing said flanges together, spacing members on the bolts for spacing the heads and nuts of the bolts away from said flanges, corner strips provided with flanges adapted to embrace said wall flanges,

said corner strips being provided with inclined surfaces adapted to engage behind said. spacing members whereby said strips are secured in position upon longitudinal movement thereof.

8. A shower bath cabinet comprising rear and side walls having their adjacent marginal edges bent inwardly and disposed in contiguous relation, means for anchoring the lower edges of said walls, means for fastening the contiguous portions of the walls together, and. corner lock strips provided with flanges having inclined surfaces adapted upon longitudinal movement of said lock strips to engage with said fastening means whereby said corner strips are secured in position to cover said fastening and anchoring means.

9. A corner strip for shower bath cabinets comprising a body provided with parallel flanges disposed rearwardly of the exposed face of the strip and having inclined locking surfaces whereby said strip is secured in position.

10. A shower bath cabinet comprising a receptor provided with an upwardly opening socket, a stile having its lower end positioned in said socket and having a slot therein for the reception of the marginal edge of a vertical wall, and means for locking said wall to the stile.

11. A stile for a bath cabinet consisting of a metal sheet bent longitudinally into rectangular form and providing a vertically extending slot for the reception of the marginal edge of a side wall said slot permitting adjustability of the wall relatively to the stile, and means for locking said wall and stile together in a plurality of adjusted positions.

12. A bath cabinet stile of hollow rectangular cross section providing a slot for the reception of the marginal edge of an adjacent wall said slot permitting said wall to assume various positions therein, and means for clamping said wall in said slot in any of said various positions.

13. A hollow elongated stile provided with a longitudinally disposed slot for the reception of the margin of an adjacent wall, and means cooperating with the walls of said slot to secure said marginal edge to the stile.

14. A hollow rr ctangular sheet metal, stile formed to provide a longitudinally extending slot between opposed walls, and means cooperating with said walls to clamp the marginal edge of a cabinet wall to said stile.

15. A shower bath cabinet comprising a receptor, a socket member anchored therein,

, cabinet walls supported upon the receptor,

and means including a corner plate and a screw adjustable relatively thereto and coloperating with said socket member whereby said walls are anchored to the receptor.

16. A shower bath cabinet comprising a receptor, cabinet walls supported thereon, a corner plate embracing the juncture of said walls and provided with an elongated slot, a socket member anchored in the receptor, and a threaded member passing through said slot and engaging said socket member for securing said side walls to the receptor.

17. A shower bath cabinet comprising a receptor, cabinet walls supported thereon, a corner plate secured to said walls at the juncture thereof and having a base portion provided with an elongated slot, a washer disposed over the slot, and means passing through said washer and slot and engaged in said receptor for-securing said walls to the receptor. v

18. A shower bath cabinet comprising a receptor, cabinet walls supported thereon and anchored thereto, means for locking said walls together, means for covering and hiding from view said anchoring and fastening means, stiles set into said receptor and provided with elongated slots for the reception of the marginal edges 'of adjacent walls, and means for securing said walls and stiles.

19. A shower bath cabinet including a receptor, a sleeve extending through the bottom thereof, supporting means cooperating with the sleeve and adjustable from above the receptor whereby said receptor may be leveled and supported, and removable means normally closing the upper end of said sleeve.

20. In a. shower bath cabinet, the combination of a receptor provided with upwardly opening stile receiving sockets having drain openings communicating with the interior of the receptor, stiles disposed in said sockets, and side and rear walls supported upon said recleptor and connected thereto and to said sti es.

21. A shower bath cabinet comprising a receptor, structurally independent side and rear walls adapted to be assembled upon and sup-- ported b said receptor, means for securing 'said wal s together into a unitary structure, and means for covering sa d securing means blocks.

23. A shower bath cabinet comprising in combination, a plurality of flexible sheet metal sections forming the walls of said cabinet, means for forming joints between each adjoining pair of sections at two separated regions to afford double protection against leakage, and means for forcibly drawing the metal together at each of said regions to maintain said joints.

24. A shower bath cabinet comprising in combination, a plurality of flexible sheet metal sections formingthe walls of said cabinet, means for forming joints between each adjoining pair of sections at two separated regions to afford double protection against leakage, and a single means operable to. draw together the metal at both of said regions.

25. A shower bath cabinet comprising in combination, a flexible sheet metal section forming a side wall for said cabinet, the metal forming said section being bent along a single line at each side thereof to form a flange, and means-for connecting said section with adj acent sections to form-a tight joint.

26. A shower bath cabinet comprising in combination, a receptor, a pair offlexible sheet metal sections forming cabinet side walls and supported on said receptor, said sections being formed to provide a vertical joint between them, said joint being located inside the area of said receptor, a sheet metal strip covering said joint onthe inside of said cabinet and means associated with said joint and located inside said cabinet for attaching said strip, said means being constructed and arranged for operation inside said cabinet, whereby said side walls may be assembled and connected from the inside of said cabinet.

27. A showerbath cabinet comprising in combination, a receptor having a marginal flange for receiving side walls, 'imperforate sheet metal sections forming the back and side walls of the cabinet supported by said receptor and extending within said flange, and a jointconnection engaging adjacent side margins of said: sections and operable from the interior of said cabinet for connecting together said sections on said receptor.

28. A shower bath cabinet comprising rear and side walls having their adjacent marginal edges bent to provide flanges. cornerstrips forming interior corners for the cabinet adapted to embrace said wall flanges, and means providing detachable interlocking con nections between said wall flanges and said corner strips whereby the corner strips are retained in position.

. 29: A shower bath cabinet comprising in combination, a plurality of sheet metal sectlons forming the walls of said cabinet. means for forming joints between each adjoining pair of sections at two separated regions to afford double protection against leakage, and means operable from the interior of the cabinet for causing said joint forming means the corner, a corner strip extending abross said corner and covering said inwardly extending portions, and means including inclined surfaces cooperating with said inwardly extending portions and with said corner strip for drawing said corner strip toward said corner and securing the same in position.

31. A shower bath cabinet comprising in combination, a pair of adjoining sheet metal wall sections having inwardly extending portions adjacent the joint between said sections, a joint strip on the interior of said cabinet covering said portions, and interengageable means carried by said strip and'said inwardly extending portions respectively whereby said corner strip and wall sections may be assembled from the interior of'the cabinet into a unitary structure, said means including inclined surfaces whereby said strip is drawn into snug engagement with said wall sections by movement of the strip relatively thereto during assembly.

32. A shower bath cabinet comprising in combination, a pair ofadjoining sheet metal wall sections having inwardly extending ortions adjacent the joint between said ections, a joint strip on'the interior of said cabinet covering said' inwardly extending portions, and cooperative means carried by said strip and said inwardly extending portions respectively whereby said sections and strip are drawn together upon movement of said strip relatively to the sections and are held in snuglyassembled relation.

33. A shower bath cabinet comprising in combination,--a plurality of sheet metal wall sections having adjacent edges, a plurality of members carried in spaced relation by said sections adjacent the joint between saidvsections, a joint strip covering the joint between said sections, and means including inclined surfaces carried by the strip and engageable with said members to draw said strip tightly against saidsections. T

34. Ashower bath cabinet comprising in combination a pair of adjoining sheet metal wall sections having inwardly extending portions adjacent the joint betweensaid sections, a joint strip on the interior of said cabinet interior of said strip engaging said portions to draw said sections together. j

35. A shower bath cabinet comprising in combination a pair of adjoining sheet metal wall sections having inwardly extending portions adjacent the joint between said sect-ions, a joint strip on the interior of said cabinet covering said joint, and projections on the interior of said strip'engaging said portions to connect said sections, said portions and projections having cam surfaces to draw said sections tightly together.

36. A shower bath cab'net comprising in combination a plurality of sheet metal wall covering said olnt, and projections 01! the e sections having adjacent edges, spaced lugs flanges, and means for forming a leak proof on the interior of said sections adjacent the joint between said flanges.

joint between said sections, a joint strip ex- In witness of the foregoing I atfix my sigtending over said lugs to cover the joint benature. 6 tween said sections, wedging surfaces on the JOHN O. BARCE. 70

interior of said strip seated behind said lugs to draw said strip tightly against said sections.

37. A shower bath cabinet including up- 10 right walls secured together at their junc- 75 ture, corner strip holding members carried by said walls and a corner strip having provision for engagement with said members whereby said strip may be drawn into snug engagement with said walls upon longitudinal movement of said strip.

38. A shower bath cabinet comprising in combination, a receptor, a pair of flexible sheet metal sections forming cabinet side walls and supported on said receptor, said 85 sections being formed to provide a vertical joint between them, said joint being located inside the area of said receptor, and a hollow structure on the inside of said cabinet enclosing said joint on the interior of the 4 cabinet and located within the area of said receptor, said structure being open at the bottom to return leakage to said receptor.

39. A shower bath cabinet comprising in 5 combination a receptor having -marginal sides, a plurality of flexible sheet metal sec: tions forming flat side walls for the cabinet and supported by said receptor and having their lower edges extending inside said receptor, and an interior joint at the adjoining side edges of said sections for connecting said sections together and constructed and arranged to interrupt the capillary passage at the joint between the sections and inside the area of the receptor to prevent capillary escape of liquid at such side edges to make such joint leak proof independently of slight relative movement between said sections and said joint connection.

40. A shower bath cabinet comprising in combination a receptor having marginal sides, a plurality of flexible sheet metal sections forming flat side walls for the cabinet M and supported by said receptor and having 115 their lower edges extending inside said receptor, and an interior joint connection at the adjoining side edges of said sections and formed to contact l ngitudinal1y with each section in separated areas inside the area of 120 said receptor to break the continuity of anycapillary leakage passages to prevent the escape of leakage from said cabinet.

41. A shower bath cabinet comprising in combination, a receptor, a pair of adjoining 125 flexible sheet metal wall sections comprising the cabinet wall and provided with base flanges and seated on said receptor,.said wall sections being formed at their adjacent side edges with identical inwardly extending 

